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Rovex-Tri-ang Ltd) which was acquired by Dunbee Combex Marx (DCM) as Rovex
Limited after Lines Bros went into receivership in 1971. Rovex Limited reintroduced a limited range of the original waterline ship and harbour models in 1976 together with four new battleships under the name "Minic Ships and Harbours by Hornby" the "Tri-ang" trademark having been acquired by Barclay Securities who purchased Tri-ang-Pedigree Ltd when Lines Bros was liquidated. The Hornby "Second Series" of Minic Ships, which were manufactured in Hong Kong, did not sell well and was discontinued in the late 1970s / early 1980s.
325:. The system aimed as far as possible for realism, and therefore the slot was as narrow as possible (about 1/8 in) with brass conductors placed vertically at each side. The vehicles picked up power via a small wheel (called a Gimbal Wheel) on their underside, which was divided into two halves by an insulating flange. At some time in the 1960s this mechanism was replaced by a pair of vertically sprung sliding pickups. These differed from that of electric racing car systems such as the same company's
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346:, an articulated lorry with a pair of pivoting rear axles, one bearing road wheels and the other rail wheels. The semi-trailer could be remotely uncoupled and then collected by a bogie wagon on the Tri-ang railway system. These could in theory be chained together to compose a train. This vehicle suffered from being underpowered. Vehicles could also be driven aboard a car-carrying wagon in the Tri-ang railway system.
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331:, in which the electrical conductors were spaced more widely apart on each side of the guide slot, and were hence more stable. There was a small removable peg at the back of the vehicles to stabilize it when in reverse. Vehicles were controlled by a hand-held controller, which had a thumb-operated speed control plus a rotating reversing switch.
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B Francis of
Minimodels Ltd designed a range of metal model racing cars driven by clockwork in 1952 under the SCALEX brand. To this he later added an electric motor showing the product in 1957. Faced with a demand beyond his capacity to fulfill, Francis sold his company to Tri-ang in 1958. With their
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The full selection of pressed steel vehicles including the different types of cranes and trains consisted of over 200 different types. There were actually nine different series of lorries together with a series of buses, cranes and trains. Tri-ang was one of the largest toy producers in the world and
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The
British range of Tri-ang large scale pressed steel vehicles were produced from the early 1930s through until the mid-1970s. To the casual onlooker or collector in the world of old toys, these toys are of no great interest, are crude by modern standards and only a few different types are commonly
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Various model boats were made by Tri-ang companies, early yachts were made of steel under the name of Tri-ang. Tri-ang also sold a range of wooden hulled yachts and clockwork motor launches. They also produced early battery powered electric motor launches. Penguin was a name that they manufactured
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The pressed steel (and occasional wooden) trains and pressed steel cranes were made during the same lifespan as the lorries, although up until the mid-1950s, most trains were made of wood. The steel buses were manufactured from 1957 up until around 1970. In the
Pressed Steel Lorry range there were
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The basic track sections contained two slots, though single-slot pieces also existed. They permitted quite complex road layouts, and included a crossroads, a 4-section roundabout, forks to create dual carriageway sections, right-angle junctions, single-track forks to allow lay-bys, and later a
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Minic
Limited, a Lines Bros subsidiary, produced a range of 1:1200 scale waterline ship and harbour models between 1958 and 1965 which were marketed under the Tri-ang Minic Ships brand. After a reorganisation in the mid 1960s Minic Limited became a subsidiary of Rovex Industries Ltd (later
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range, collapsed. Lines Bros. purchased the company, and in 1965 the combined model railway was marketed as Tri-ang-Hornby although the vast majority of the system was all Tri-ang 2 rail. In 1966 a controlling interest was acquired in a smaller rival, G & R Wrenn. Wrenn were then
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all the redundant, 3 rail, Hornby Dublo tooling. When, in 1971, the Lines Bros. empire was broken up, Rovex - Tri-ang was purchased by Dunbee, Combex, Marx (DCM) but without the Tri-ang brand. Because of this DCM were forced to re-brand the model railway as
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At a late stage of the system's life, an attempt was made to update its image and enter the model racing-car market. Racing car bodies were introduced, which contained more powerful motors with worm drive, and with the improved pickups mentioned above.
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crossover from the left to the right track (with a break in the conductors). Railway compatibility was ensured by a level crossing and road/rail interchange pieces. Curves could be built with up to 5 parallel slots.
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The Triang name and Minic trademark were acquired by
Charles Shave of Hong Kong in 2003. The new company reproduced the original 1960s harbour models, together with a good range of modern merchant vessels and
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The most common are the red-bonneted tipper lorry, the bonneted Shell tanker, breakdown lorry and the London
Transport double decker bus, with a couple of cranes and a few Puff Puff railway engines.
32:
Lines Bros Ltd, at its peak in 1947, was claimed by the company to be the largest toy maker in the world. Under the Tri-ang Toys brand name, Lines Bros Ltd also made children's bicycles, such as the
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delivery vans, petrol tankers, breakdown lorries, different types of articulated lorries, rocket launchers, car transporters, circus lorries, mobile shops, Army, RAF and emergency vehicles.
64:, their company being G & J Lines Ltd. George was a trained carpenter, while Joseph was more business focused. Joseph had four sons, three of whom formed Lines Bros Ltd soon after the
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1963 Tri-ang
Railways catalogue - the year the red and yellow station buildings (see photo below) were replaced. In 1962 the R.60 Ticket Office had cost 8/3 (£7.81 at 2014 values).
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plastic yachts and clockwork boats and some battery powered electric boats. Over the years these toys/models were manufactured under the name Rovex, Scalex and
Minimodels.
131:, a linked toy railway company, bought itself free as Wrenn Railways. The remains of the Tri-ang brand was sold off. As a result, the Tri-ang Hornby system took the name
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The Minic
Motorways system allowed the modeller to animate the roads as well as the railways in their townscapes. Some modellers used flexible track manufactured by
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Tri-ang Minic vehicles last appeared in the 1961 7th edition of the Tri-ang Railways catalogue. The clockwork minic in the foreground dates from the early 50s.
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mass-manufacturing capability and know-how with plastic, the Rovex subsidiary of Tri-ang converted the metal cars to plastic and extended the range.
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warships. Production numbers have been low, but these new "Third Series" models have now been on sale for longer than either of the earlier sets.
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When Meccano Ltd faced financial troubles and was acquired by Tri-ang, it also acquired the Dinky Toys range. Tri-ang's own range of model cars,
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The range of vehicles was designed to be complementary to a model railway set, and for instance included a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, a
33:
427:, had competed with the Dinky range but never had the success of Dinky and its designs were briefly subsumed into the Dinky range.
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Tri-ang R64R Platform Curved End Right last shown in the 1961 catalogue. Larger items had a catalogue number embossed on them.
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A range of trackside accessories such as a petrol station and a ferry allowed users to build towns around their systems.
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with a two 'rail' system, which made reversing loops impossible without an insulated section. The competing German
107:. The Group was broken up and sold off. Rovex Tri-ang Ltd (which had the Hornby Railways among its portfolio) was
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There were associated companies overseas selling Tri-ang under their own brand names. e.g.: A.T.T. in the U.S.A.
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brands, but as a result of losses overseas they were in financial trouble. In 1971 Lines Bros. Ltd called in the
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68:. They were William, Walter and Arthur Lines. Three Lines making a triangle - hence Tri-ang. Arthur's son,
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was a British toy manufacturer of the 20th century, operating under the Tri-ang Toys brand name.
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80:. As a result, production facilities were converted to weapons manufacture, specifically the
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bus, a Shell petrol tanker and a towtruck. The most remarkable vehicle was a
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from January 1972, with the Dinky and Meccano businesses being acquired by
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613:"Tri-ang Minic Ships, 1:1200 diecast waterline ship models (~1958-~1964)"
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Lines Bros had its own railway system, the Rovex system, marketed as
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At their peak they had 40 companies world-wide, including the famous
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Points were manually operated, although third-party electric point
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with wooden animals as well as a small range of wooden soldiers.
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In World War II, Lines Brothers was a major manufacturer of the
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The brothers George and Joseph Lines made wooden toys in the
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88:. Manufacture of toys resumed shortly after the war ended.
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The nine different ranges of pressed steel toy lorry were:
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Railways systems (see above) in '00' and 'TT' gauges.
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The company kept producing toys made of wood such as
232:Tri-ang Minic Narrow Gauge (garden) railways in 10
652:Sten MkIII: A Children's Toy Company Makes SMGs
639:anticsonline.uk/N1350_Tri-ang-Minic/index.html
535:with a Sten Mk III manufactured by Lines Bros.
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374:Minic, like Tri-ang railways, used 12-volt
321:Minic Motorways was a system of HO-scale
43:The "Tri-ang Unity Dragster TT" Bicycle.
552:
7:
591:"How To Make A Battery Powered Boat"
270:their range of toys reflected this.
191:Boxed Tri-ang railway set from 1961.
696:Toy companies of the United Kingdom
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578:. Privately published. p. 1.
371:to enhance the level of realism.
115:, complete with its factories at
649:Forgotten Weapons (2024-06-05).
589:Efty Abir, Najrul Islam (2016).
561:"Lines Brothers - Graces Guide"
504:construction kits (two scales),
308:(All years are approximations)
1:
394:Model pond yachts and boats
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300:1962–1966: Regal Roadsters
474:Pedigree Prams and dolls,
297:1958–1967: Junior Diesels
294:1959–1966: Thames Traders
258:Triang lorry, early 1930s
203:, which manufactured the
288:1955–1960: Diesel series
279:1930–1937: Metal lorries
16:British toy manufacturer
386:, and had a compatible
576:From G&J to Triang
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159:walkers being made in
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574:Lines, Peggy (2015).
533:Durham Light Infantry
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489:Minic waterline ships
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291:1957–1963: 300 series
285:1948–1957: 200 series
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109:Pocket Money Toys Ltd
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661:– via YouTube.
384:alternating current
317:Model road vehicles
282:1937–1956: Bedfords
250:Large road vehicles
627:"Triang by Oxford"
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510:construction kits,
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336:Humber Super Snipe
303:1966–1973: Hi-ways
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125:Dunbee-Combex-Marx
78:British Government
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403:Model racing cars
357:could be fitted.
228:Railway systems:
111:and then sold as
105:Official Receiver
34:Unity Dragster TT
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74:Second World War
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656:. Retrieved
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597:12 September
595:. Retrieved
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531:Soldiers of
523:World War II
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382:system used
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205:Hornby Dublo
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127:Ltd. (DCM).
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593:. Leo Evans
483:Minimodels,
480:Minix cars,
452:Other names
431:Model ships
344:Road-Railer
201:Meccano Ltd
199:. In 1964,
157:Hobby horse
148:Wooden toys
691:Lines Bros
685:Categories
658:2024-06-05
547:References
486:Miniville,
471:Pennybrix,
446:Royal Navy
419:Model cars
409:Scalextric
388:trolleybus
328:Scalextric
177:Noah's ark
121:Canterbury
355:solenoids
323:slot cars
173:toy forts
113:Rovex Ltd
390:system.
242:" gauge.
183:Railways
117:Westwood
502:Arkitex
442:US Navy
425:Spot-on
237:⁄
163:in 1951
97:Meccano
84:Mk III
48:History
465:Arrow
380:Faller
263:seen.
137:Airfix
93:Hornby
496:Sindy
338:, an
123:, to
101:Dinky
599:2016
541:Sten
508:Frog
444:and
369:Peco
210:sold
175:, a
119:and
99:and
82:Sten
687::
217:.
171:,
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95:,
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615:.
601:.
563:.
498:,
239:4
235:1
36:.
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